Paperboard cartons having a variety of varying pour spouts located on a side wall or top wall of the carton have been manufactured for many years. These pour spouts have been separately formed of metal, plastic or paperboard or simultaneously formed in the paperboard constituting the carton.
Early cartons, similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,956,238 to Jackson, required both a closure flap and a covering flap which covers the opening once the carton is initially opened. The closure flap is formed as an integral part of the side wall and must be forced open by the consumer. This force will cause the closure flap to extend into the interior of the carton, which can obstruct the opening during discharge of the contents. Further, the covering flap is initially secured to the side wall by an adhesive which when opened by the consumer may tear in a non-uniform manner and permanently damage the flap or carton rendering reclosure of the carton impossible.
In an effort to overcome the shortcomings of this reclosable opening, U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,003 to Hicken discloses a reclosable opening feature formed in the side wall of a carton which may or may not include a covering flap. In order to gain access to the contents of the carton, a lift tab is provided as an extension of the closure flap which must be grasped and lifted by the consumer. For this to be accomplished, that portion of the paperboard carton about the lift tab must be removed during manufacture of the paperboard blank and an area of the cooperating end panel underlying the lift tab must be free of adhesive in order to allow the consumer to lift the lift tab. As noted, the manufacture of this carton requires removal of paperboard material as well as a specific void in the adhesive layer. This may lead to the possibility that the lift tab will be secured to the underlying panel or that the underlying panel will not adhere to the desired portions of the overlying panel when the resultant carton is formed. Additionally, if the paperboard material is not properly removed, the lift tab will not be accessible. With such a structure, the lift tab of the carton may not be readily grasped, by the consumer due to the adhesive which must be placed on the portion of the underlying panel between the lift tab and the carton opening. This will in turn make it difficult to initially lift the lift tabs.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,853 to Weber, discloses a carton having a pour spout opening for dispensing the contents of the carton. As in U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,003, adhesive is provided about the entire periphery of the pour spout opening which may lead to the unintended adhering of the lift tab to the underlying flap containing the pour spout opening. Further, the resultant carton requires the removal of a portion of the overlying panel containing the closure element to facilitate access to a lift tab this may also lead to the obstruction of the lift tab if not properly removed.
Clearly there is a need for a carton which includes a pour spout in which the initial opening of the carton can be readily accomplished by the consumer and which may be reliably reclosed after the dispensing of a portion of the contents.